5 Ways To Boost Your Memory
Have you ever imagined the benefits a good memory can bringyou?Being able to remember important pieces of information -like names, facts and figures, directions, procedures,quotations - can give you a powerful advantage in life.In fact, the ability to retain and retrieve information isessential to your personal and professional success.Here are five ways to boost your memory and keep it razorsharp:1. Use Your ImaginationAn easy way to remember something is to "take a picture".For example, to remember where you've left your car keys,pretend to hold a camera to your eyes, focus on the scene,and click the image into your memory when you are leaving.Then, when you want to find your keys again, try to developthe negative into positive and you'll be able to draw out aclear picture.This technique works with almost everything you want toremember, as the film reel in your mind is endless.Another trick you can use is to "think like a poet". Makeup rhymes to recall ideas and construct simple-to-rememberacronyms to record key phrases.Remembering is EASY (Every Acronym Saves You) when you DIY(Do It Yourself).Let's say you want to memorize the planets in their orderfrom the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.Then just say "My Very Excellent Mom Just Served Us NicePickles".2. Practice!You can boost your memory with just a little regularpractice. There are lots of ways of doing this:Try to remember which day of the week your last birthdaywas. Then extend this to the birthdays of all your familymembers.Try to remember all the Grand Slam Finalists and who was thewinner. If you can try to remember the scores as well, itwould be an even better exercise.Try to remember names of all the 50 States and see if youcan do it in alphabetic order too.It won't be long before your daily practice pays off -making your mind sharper and more adaptable.3. Eat HealthyThe best way to protect your memory is to eat plenty ofantioxidants and nutrients commonly found in fruits andvegetables.In a study published by the American Journal of ClinicalNutrition, researchers tested people aged between 65 and 90and discovered that the people with the best ability tomemorize words were those whose diets included the mostfruits and vegetables.Coincidentally, the same group of people ate the leastartery-clogging saturated fat. Of all the fruits andvegetables studied, blueberries and blackberries contain themost potent antioxidants, anthocyanins.4. Get PhysicalPhysical exercise not only boosts memory but also helps youthink faster. A combination of mental and physicalactivities can protect your memory and help keep you alert.The brain's processing speed gradually slows as you age.Between ages 25 and 55, many people begin to experienceproblems coming up with names or numbers. The memory isthere. It just takes people longer to retrieve it.Staying physically fit can ward off some of the effects ofage on the brain. In real life, that could mean coming upwith a forgotten name more quickly or jumping out of dangerin the face of an oncoming car.5. Exercise Your BrainMental gymnastics are as important as physical ones topreserving brainpower.Take up word games like crossword puzzles and acrostics.Memorize favorite poems, read challenging books or articlesthat encourage you to expand your interests.Practice other-handedness. If you're right- handed, trybrushing your teeth or writing your grocery list with yourleft hand.Any activity that requires you to think and concentrate --from keeping a journal or learning a new language to takingmusic lessons -- will challenge your brain.
Friday, December 23, 2005
Why do language training programs fail?
Why do language training programs fail?
If you want to make your training program succeed, you have to look beyond the class and at the company itself. As a trainer you have a shared responsibility, along with the company, of ensuring that what's learned in the classroom is transferred over to the day-to-day activities of the company. It is only when this transfer occurs, that the program can be seen as effective. The following tips are designed to help you make informed decisions when planning a course, and also help make your courses more effective.We hope you find the tips helpful: Make adequate pre-course preparation. Never accept "We want the class to start tonight" from the pesron responsible for arranging the class. On many occasions, this member of staff is in such a rush to get the assigned task "out of the way," that essential steps are ignored. If you want the class to work, take your time and follow the tips below.Listen to what the company are saying to you. Get a feel for the company culture, try to envision what the class will be like. Remember that you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. Some classes can be more trouble than they are worth—if you suspect that this is the case, use your judgement to decide whether it's worth working with this particular company.Try and find out as much as you can about what the company does, what the class members actually do at the company, and the English skills they need to do the job effectively. Find out who made the decision to learn English and for what purpose. On many occassions the decision comes not from the students but management. Sometimes training is viewed as a perk, or as some solution to the company's inability to compete in its market. Situations like these can create motivational problems with the group—something the trainer has to deal with. A trainer cannot change a company's culture, however, he can create a positive classroom environment. We suggest that you try and achieve the following to keep the students motivated in your classes: Strive to make the energy in your classes high with clear transitions from each stage of the lesson.Try to connect with your students by showing interest in their work, learning experiences, private lives etc.Show the group that the course will help them advance their careers. Staff should know that if their current employer doesn't let them apply their new skills, there are many other companies that will.Be clear about what you are actually teaching—if you don't know, how will the trainees know?Carry out a placement test so you know the level of the students (notice how this suggestion lies near the bottom of this list). Insist that the class members have similar English levels. This will make both your life and the students' lives much easier once the class starts.Carry out a needs analysis so that you have a clear idea of what the company hopes to achieve. Be specific about the objectives of the course: "We want the group to just practice conversation" is too vague an objective, and is a complete waste of time. An objective such as: "We want to be able to describe the features of our products in correct English" is much better because it is specific, relevant to the job and achievable.Appoint a class representative who can communicate directly with you in an open and frank way. Listen to feedback, and act on it—even if it may seem ridiculous to you.Make sure you negotiate a clear cancellation policy. If you don't establish this at the start, the company will be cancelling on you whenever they feel like it.We hope you found these useful, and don't forget that the success of a class is dependent on active involvement from you, the trainees and management.
If you want to make your training program succeed, you have to look beyond the class and at the company itself. As a trainer you have a shared responsibility, along with the company, of ensuring that what's learned in the classroom is transferred over to the day-to-day activities of the company. It is only when this transfer occurs, that the program can be seen as effective. The following tips are designed to help you make informed decisions when planning a course, and also help make your courses more effective.We hope you find the tips helpful: Make adequate pre-course preparation. Never accept "We want the class to start tonight" from the pesron responsible for arranging the class. On many occasions, this member of staff is in such a rush to get the assigned task "out of the way," that essential steps are ignored. If you want the class to work, take your time and follow the tips below.Listen to what the company are saying to you. Get a feel for the company culture, try to envision what the class will be like. Remember that you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. Some classes can be more trouble than they are worth—if you suspect that this is the case, use your judgement to decide whether it's worth working with this particular company.Try and find out as much as you can about what the company does, what the class members actually do at the company, and the English skills they need to do the job effectively. Find out who made the decision to learn English and for what purpose. On many occassions the decision comes not from the students but management. Sometimes training is viewed as a perk, or as some solution to the company's inability to compete in its market. Situations like these can create motivational problems with the group—something the trainer has to deal with. A trainer cannot change a company's culture, however, he can create a positive classroom environment. We suggest that you try and achieve the following to keep the students motivated in your classes: Strive to make the energy in your classes high with clear transitions from each stage of the lesson.Try to connect with your students by showing interest in their work, learning experiences, private lives etc.Show the group that the course will help them advance their careers. Staff should know that if their current employer doesn't let them apply their new skills, there are many other companies that will.Be clear about what you are actually teaching—if you don't know, how will the trainees know?Carry out a placement test so you know the level of the students (notice how this suggestion lies near the bottom of this list). Insist that the class members have similar English levels. This will make both your life and the students' lives much easier once the class starts.Carry out a needs analysis so that you have a clear idea of what the company hopes to achieve. Be specific about the objectives of the course: "We want the group to just practice conversation" is too vague an objective, and is a complete waste of time. An objective such as: "We want to be able to describe the features of our products in correct English" is much better because it is specific, relevant to the job and achievable.Appoint a class representative who can communicate directly with you in an open and frank way. Listen to feedback, and act on it—even if it may seem ridiculous to you.Make sure you negotiate a clear cancellation policy. If you don't establish this at the start, the company will be cancelling on you whenever they feel like it.We hope you found these useful, and don't forget that the success of a class is dependent on active involvement from you, the trainees and management.
Eye of Horus
Eye of Horus
Horus, represented as the falcon-headed god, was an important god in Egyptian legend. The symbol representing his eye, Eye of Horus, was a powerful symbol used to protect from evil. Pronounced "udjat" by the Egyptians, the Eye of Horus represents a human eye with the cheek markings of a falcon.The ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus or wedjat ('Whole One') is a powerful symbol of protection, and is also considered to confer wisdom, health and prosperity.The ancient Egyptians considered the eye of horus as a representative of eternal renewal of the kingdom from Pharaoh to pharaoh. The ancient Egyptians believed that this symbol has a very powerful and magical effect on restoring harmony to the unstabilized world and restoring unrightful things.According to the old myth, the rivalling god Seth tore Horus' eye out. Seth was his uncle, who contended with him for the Egyptian throne after he had killed and dismembered his father, Osiris. Thot, the wise moon god and the patron of the sciences and the art of writing, put it patiently back in order and healed it. As an ambiguous symbol, it describes the status of regained soundness.In the field of astronomy it is the moon symbol absolute and refers to the increasing completion of the moon disk; the Eye of Horus symbol was inspired by the "Eye of God" and "solar falcon" that are manifested during total solar eclipses;In the most different sizes and degrees of preciousness of its materials, it served as an amulet worn around the neck or as a graphic motif for beautiful jewels; it decorated the lunettes of coffins and sarcophagi; it was part of a suspicious picture mysteries in the ornament of receptacles or other personal objects.The Eye of Horus symbol was used in funerary rites and decoration, as instructed in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. After 1200 BC, it was also used by the Egyptians to represent fractions, based on repeated division by two. The value of a fraction was assigned to each individual part of the eye which Seth had torn up according to the myth. Their total, corresponding to the restoration of the eye brought about by Thot, should have added up to a whole. In fact, however, the total of the six fractions used results in only 63/64; it was assumed that Thot had withheld the missing 1/64 by magic. The Eye of Horus fraction system was based on the Eye of Horus symbol. This system was used to record prescriptions, land and grain.Fractions are created by combining sections of the Eye of Horus symbol. Each section has a different value. The complete Eye of Horus with all parts in place has a value of 1. In reality the complete Eye of Horus represents 63/64, which is rounded off to 1.The system is based on halves. Half of 1 equals 1/2, half of 1/2 equals 1/4 and so on until the smallest value of 1/64. By adding together the values of different sections fractions are created.The 'Rx' symbol which is used by pharmacies and in medicine has its origins in the Eye of Horus.
Horus, represented as the falcon-headed god, was an important god in Egyptian legend. The symbol representing his eye, Eye of Horus, was a powerful symbol used to protect from evil. Pronounced "udjat" by the Egyptians, the Eye of Horus represents a human eye with the cheek markings of a falcon.The ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus or wedjat ('Whole One') is a powerful symbol of protection, and is also considered to confer wisdom, health and prosperity.The ancient Egyptians considered the eye of horus as a representative of eternal renewal of the kingdom from Pharaoh to pharaoh. The ancient Egyptians believed that this symbol has a very powerful and magical effect on restoring harmony to the unstabilized world and restoring unrightful things.According to the old myth, the rivalling god Seth tore Horus' eye out. Seth was his uncle, who contended with him for the Egyptian throne after he had killed and dismembered his father, Osiris. Thot, the wise moon god and the patron of the sciences and the art of writing, put it patiently back in order and healed it. As an ambiguous symbol, it describes the status of regained soundness.In the field of astronomy it is the moon symbol absolute and refers to the increasing completion of the moon disk; the Eye of Horus symbol was inspired by the "Eye of God" and "solar falcon" that are manifested during total solar eclipses;In the most different sizes and degrees of preciousness of its materials, it served as an amulet worn around the neck or as a graphic motif for beautiful jewels; it decorated the lunettes of coffins and sarcophagi; it was part of a suspicious picture mysteries in the ornament of receptacles or other personal objects.The Eye of Horus symbol was used in funerary rites and decoration, as instructed in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. After 1200 BC, it was also used by the Egyptians to represent fractions, based on repeated division by two. The value of a fraction was assigned to each individual part of the eye which Seth had torn up according to the myth. Their total, corresponding to the restoration of the eye brought about by Thot, should have added up to a whole. In fact, however, the total of the six fractions used results in only 63/64; it was assumed that Thot had withheld the missing 1/64 by magic. The Eye of Horus fraction system was based on the Eye of Horus symbol. This system was used to record prescriptions, land and grain.Fractions are created by combining sections of the Eye of Horus symbol. Each section has a different value. The complete Eye of Horus with all parts in place has a value of 1. In reality the complete Eye of Horus represents 63/64, which is rounded off to 1.The system is based on halves. Half of 1 equals 1/2, half of 1/2 equals 1/4 and so on until the smallest value of 1/64. By adding together the values of different sections fractions are created.The 'Rx' symbol which is used by pharmacies and in medicine has its origins in the Eye of Horus.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Grisaille Paintings
Grisaille is not a paintings type by its own but an initial step in oil painting. It is the step representing lighter shades of the image to be painted. This type grisaille grey is basically a painting in lighter grey shade (followed as per the rules of oil painting the darker painting section follows the lighter colors to be implemented in oil painting) before the whole painting is all done. This painting is executed entirely on monochrome in various shades of grey which can also be used for decorative purposes such as representing an object in relief.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Types of Water Treatment:
Water Conditioners:
This is one of the most efficient water treatment method and the water which comes out from them has low sodium diets .it does not contain Lime scales Water which intakes appliances lasts for a longer period. It increases the efficiency of heat. It also the effectiveness of soap, it retains calcium and it is very good for health, it has low running cost. The disadvantage is that it wont treats any specific hard water problems, which is clearly described in http://www.water-filters-purifiers-softeners.com/.
Water softeners:
The water softeners takes off lime scale, it brings up heating efficiency and it increases the life span of clothes.
Activated carbon water filters:
They are good in removing chlorine from the water and they are also efficient in removing organic efficiency. This filtration does not deal with microbes, sodium, nitrates, fluorides and hardness.
Ultraviolet water filters:
These filters have maximum fabrication capacity and they kill 99% of the germs they are passing through. But these filters do not remove dead cells and do not kill other contaminants.
Water Distillers:
Takes away the natural water cycle processes. Distilled Water is very pure and it is free from all the impurities. It has low Filtration Capacity and high running cost.
This is one of the most efficient water treatment method and the water which comes out from them has low sodium diets .it does not contain Lime scales Water which intakes appliances lasts for a longer period. It increases the efficiency of heat. It also the effectiveness of soap, it retains calcium and it is very good for health, it has low running cost. The disadvantage is that it wont treats any specific hard water problems, which is clearly described in http://www.water-filters-purifiers-softeners.com/.
Water softeners:
The water softeners takes off lime scale, it brings up heating efficiency and it increases the life span of clothes.
Activated carbon water filters:
They are good in removing chlorine from the water and they are also efficient in removing organic efficiency. This filtration does not deal with microbes, sodium, nitrates, fluorides and hardness.
Ultraviolet water filters:
These filters have maximum fabrication capacity and they kill 99% of the germs they are passing through. But these filters do not remove dead cells and do not kill other contaminants.
Water Distillers:
Takes away the natural water cycle processes. Distilled Water is very pure and it is free from all the impurities. It has low Filtration Capacity and high running cost.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Orlando villas
Sitting here in early August gazing at the grey English skies makes me long to
return to sunnier climates. My thoughts turn firmly to Florida and I find myself
browsing for Orlando villas to rent on orlando
villas.
return to sunnier climates. My thoughts turn firmly to Florida and I find myself
browsing for Orlando villas to rent on orlando
villas.
I remember my last trip as if it was only yesterday, especially my close encounter
whilst absorbing one of Central Florida’s natural attractions, the swamps.
Although we were staying in an Orlando vacation rental home which are mainly
filled with out-of-state tourists, I bumped into a local called Carl who was
working for www.wireitright.com who suggested that our families meet up one
Sunday afternoon at a country park about 30 miles North West of Orlando. Eager
to see more of Florida’s natural beauty, sure enough one week later we
found ourselves heading up to Wekiva. We met with our new friends and decided
to rent some canoes and head north upriver.
The shallow river was fairly dense with fallen trees and navigating them was
difficult. Whilst rowing with one ore and two you kids was hard-work heading
up-stream, the current made it fairly easy to control the canoe and navigate
the tight corners. As we passed one particularly hairy tight spot, a 7ft alligator
was clearly visible. The kids, aged 4 and 5, were already on the lookout for
alligators and they fell very silent as we passed.
Eventually we found a sand island in the middle of the river and stopped for
refreshment. My 4 year old picked up a stick that was floating down-stream.
When he asked me why the stick was moving I shouted to him to drop it, fortunately
it looked like it was just a water snake.
I need some excitement in my life again, time to fins another Florida vacation
villa for rent on www.fabvillas.com. If I can, I’ll try to stay at Emerald
Retreat again as it was a wonderful villa with everything that I could have
dreamed of, details can be found at www.emeraldislandflorida.com
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
WLAN
A wireless LAN or WLAN is a wireless local area network that uses radio waves as its carrier: the last link with the users is wireless, to give a network connection to all users in the surrounding area. Areas may range from a single room to an entire campus. The backbone network usually uses cables, with one or more wireless access points connecting the wireless users to the wired network.
WLAN is expected to continue to be an important form of connection in many business areas. The market is expected to grow as the benefits of WLAN are recognized. Frost and Sullivan estimate the WLAN market to have been 0.3 billion US dollars in 1998 and 1.6 billion dollars in 2005. So far WLANs have been installed in universities, airports, and other major public places. Decreasing costs of WLAN equipment has also brought it to many homes. However, in the UK the exorbitant cost of using such connections in public has so far limited use to airports' Business Class lounges, etc. Large future markets are estimated to be in health care, corporate offices and the downtown area of major cities. New York City has even begun a pilot program to cover all five boroughs of the city with wireless internet.
Originally WLAN hardware was so expensive that it was only used as an alternative to cabled LAN in places where cabling was difficult or impossible. Such places could be old protected buildings or classrooms, although the restricted range of the 802.11b (typically 30ft.) limits its use to smaller buildings. WLAN components are now cheap enough to be used in the home, with many being set-up so that one PC (a parent's PC, for example) can be used to share an internet connection with the whole family (whilst retaining access control at the parents' PC).
Early development included industry-specific solutions and proprietary protocols, but at the end of the 1990s these were replaced by standards, primarily the various versions of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) (see separate articles) and HomeRF (2 Mbit/s, intended for home use, unknown in the UK). An alternative ATM-like 5 GHz standardized technology, HIPERLAN, has so far not succeeded in the market, and with the release of the faster 54 Mbit/s 802.11a (5 GHz) and 802.11g (2.4 GHz) standards, almost certainly never will.
The lack of default security of Wireless connections is fast becoming an issue, especially in the UK, where many Broadband (ADSL) connections are now offered together with a Wireless Basestation/ADSL Modem/firewall/Router access point. Further, many laptop PCs now have Wireless Networking built in (cf. Intel 'Centrino' campaign) thus eliminating the need for an additional plug-in (PCMCIA) card. This might even be enabled, by default, without the owner ever realising it, thus 'broadcasting' the laptop's accessibility to any computer nearby.
The basic security used for a WLAN was originally Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), but this was shown to provide minimal security due to serious weaknesses. The alternate Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security protocol was later created to address these problems. Since then software solutions such as SSL, SSH, and various types of software encryption have become the prefered methods of securing wireless information transmission.
Modern operating systems such as Linux, Mac OS, or Microsoft Windows XP as the 'standard' in home PCs makes it very easy to setup a PC as a Wireless LAN 'basestation' and using Internet Connection Sharing allows all the PCs in the home to access the Internet via the 'base' PC. However, lack of expertise in setting up such systems often means that someone nearby, such as a next-door neighbor, may also share the internet connection. This is typically without the wireless network owner's knowledge; it may even be without the knowledge of the user (the neighbor) if his computer automatically selects a nearby wireless network. Nowadays it has become etiquette to leave wireless access points open for others to use just as one expects to find open access points while on the road. This freely sharing of bandwith is the basis of free wireless community networks which are often considered the future of the internet.
The frequency which 802.11b operates at is 2.4GHz, which can lead to interference with cordless phones on the same frequency. If one wants to use a cordless telephone on the same premises, one should ensure that the cordless set uses a different frequency, such as 900Mhz or 5.8 Ghz. However, any wireless router has the ability to operate in different channels. Using channel 11 is most often the best situation for a wireless access point.
There are two possible types of operation:
Peer-to-peer or ad-hoc mode This mode is a method for wireless devices to directly communicate with each other. Operating in ad-hoc mode allows wireless devices within range of each other to discover and communicate in peer-to-peer fashion without involving central access points. This is typically used by two PCs to connect to one another, so that one can share the other's Internet connection for example, as well as for wireless mesh networks. Infrastructure mode This mode of wireless networking bridges a wireless network to a wired Ethernet network. Infrastructure mode wireless also supports central connection points for WLAN clients. A wireless access point is required for infrastructure mode wireless networking, which serves as the central WLAN communication station. This is typically used by a stand-alone base-station (such as a Broadband/ADSL connection box).
WLAN is expected to continue to be an important form of connection in many business areas. The market is expected to grow as the benefits of WLAN are recognized. Frost and Sullivan estimate the WLAN market to have been 0.3 billion US dollars in 1998 and 1.6 billion dollars in 2005. So far WLANs have been installed in universities, airports, and other major public places. Decreasing costs of WLAN equipment has also brought it to many homes. However, in the UK the exorbitant cost of using such connections in public has so far limited use to airports' Business Class lounges, etc. Large future markets are estimated to be in health care, corporate offices and the downtown area of major cities. New York City has even begun a pilot program to cover all five boroughs of the city with wireless internet.
Originally WLAN hardware was so expensive that it was only used as an alternative to cabled LAN in places where cabling was difficult or impossible. Such places could be old protected buildings or classrooms, although the restricted range of the 802.11b (typically 30ft.) limits its use to smaller buildings. WLAN components are now cheap enough to be used in the home, with many being set-up so that one PC (a parent's PC, for example) can be used to share an internet connection with the whole family (whilst retaining access control at the parents' PC).
Early development included industry-specific solutions and proprietary protocols, but at the end of the 1990s these were replaced by standards, primarily the various versions of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) (see separate articles) and HomeRF (2 Mbit/s, intended for home use, unknown in the UK). An alternative ATM-like 5 GHz standardized technology, HIPERLAN, has so far not succeeded in the market, and with the release of the faster 54 Mbit/s 802.11a (5 GHz) and 802.11g (2.4 GHz) standards, almost certainly never will.
The lack of default security of Wireless connections is fast becoming an issue, especially in the UK, where many Broadband (ADSL) connections are now offered together with a Wireless Basestation/ADSL Modem/firewall/Router access point. Further, many laptop PCs now have Wireless Networking built in (cf. Intel 'Centrino' campaign) thus eliminating the need for an additional plug-in (PCMCIA) card. This might even be enabled, by default, without the owner ever realising it, thus 'broadcasting' the laptop's accessibility to any computer nearby.
The basic security used for a WLAN was originally Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), but this was shown to provide minimal security due to serious weaknesses. The alternate Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security protocol was later created to address these problems. Since then software solutions such as SSL, SSH, and various types of software encryption have become the prefered methods of securing wireless information transmission.
Modern operating systems such as Linux, Mac OS, or Microsoft Windows XP as the 'standard' in home PCs makes it very easy to setup a PC as a Wireless LAN 'basestation' and using Internet Connection Sharing allows all the PCs in the home to access the Internet via the 'base' PC. However, lack of expertise in setting up such systems often means that someone nearby, such as a next-door neighbor, may also share the internet connection. This is typically without the wireless network owner's knowledge; it may even be without the knowledge of the user (the neighbor) if his computer automatically selects a nearby wireless network. Nowadays it has become etiquette to leave wireless access points open for others to use just as one expects to find open access points while on the road. This freely sharing of bandwith is the basis of free wireless community networks which are often considered the future of the internet.
The frequency which 802.11b operates at is 2.4GHz, which can lead to interference with cordless phones on the same frequency. If one wants to use a cordless telephone on the same premises, one should ensure that the cordless set uses a different frequency, such as 900Mhz or 5.8 Ghz. However, any wireless router has the ability to operate in different channels. Using channel 11 is most often the best situation for a wireless access point.
There are two possible types of operation:
Peer-to-peer or ad-hoc mode This mode is a method for wireless devices to directly communicate with each other. Operating in ad-hoc mode allows wireless devices within range of each other to discover and communicate in peer-to-peer fashion without involving central access points. This is typically used by two PCs to connect to one another, so that one can share the other's Internet connection for example, as well as for wireless mesh networks. Infrastructure mode This mode of wireless networking bridges a wireless network to a wired Ethernet network. Infrastructure mode wireless also supports central connection points for WLAN clients. A wireless access point is required for infrastructure mode wireless networking, which serves as the central WLAN communication station. This is typically used by a stand-alone base-station (such as a Broadband/ADSL connection box).
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Plot
Howard Langston, a mattress salesman who lives in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, has been neglecting his family, and to make up for it he promises his son Jamie anything he wants for Christmas. Jamie wants the new TurboMan doll, which happens to be what every other child wants as well. Howard's wife Liz tells him to buy the doll early to be safe, but he forgets and only remembers on Christmas Eve. He goes to every toy store in the region, including the Mall of America, but they're all sold out. He meets a slightly deranged postal worker, Myron, who is also looking for one of the dolls, and having no success. Howard tries increasingly crazy things to try to get one of the dolls, like making a deal with a con-artist Santa Claus, who happens to be part of an illegal cartel. He even tries to steal a TurboMan doll from his neighbour's house, Ted, who happens to be trying to make a move on Howard's wife. He and Myron turn on each other in their desperation. Eventually the police, including an officer that Howard has got on the wrong side of, corner both Howard and Myron. Myron shakes them off by producing a 'fake' letter bomb from his post-bag, which turns out to be real.
Howard eventually gets mistaken for someone else, and is put into a state-of-the-art TurboMan costume before he can explain himself. He is the centrepiece of a Christmas parade, which Liz and Jamie are also attending. He is supposed to present a member of the crowd with a special edition TurboMan doll, and he uses the opportunity to give the doll to Jamie. Unfortunately, Myron still hasn't given up, and stealing the costume of one of the other actors he kidnaps Jamie, prompting Howard to try and rescue him. Howard succeeds, and just as Myron is about to be taken to hospital, Jamie gives him the doll, saying he doesn't need it anymore, as his dad's the real thing.
Howard eventually gets mistaken for someone else, and is put into a state-of-the-art TurboMan costume before he can explain himself. He is the centrepiece of a Christmas parade, which Liz and Jamie are also attending. He is supposed to present a member of the crowd with a special edition TurboMan doll, and he uses the opportunity to give the doll to Jamie. Unfortunately, Myron still hasn't given up, and stealing the costume of one of the other actors he kidnaps Jamie, prompting Howard to try and rescue him. Howard succeeds, and just as Myron is about to be taken to hospital, Jamie gives him the doll, saying he doesn't need it anymore, as his dad's the real thing.
Friday, February 25, 2005
History
In the 1960s and 1970s, software was not considered to be a product but rather an addon the mainframe vendors gave to their customers to use the computers at all. In that culture, programmers and developers frequently shared their software freely among each other. This was especially common with some of the large users groups, such as DECUS, the DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) Users Group. In the late 1970s, companies started routinely imposing restrictions on users with the use of license agreements.
In 1984, Richard Stallman started working on the GNU project, founding the Free Software Foundation (FSF) one year later [1]He introduced a definition for "free software" and the concept of "copyleft", which he specifically devised to give users freedom and to restrain the possibilities for appropriation [2]According to that definition, software is "free" if it grants:
the freedom to run the program for any purpose (called "freedom 0") the freedom to study and modify the program ("freedom 1") the freedom to copy the program so you can help your neighbor ("freedom 2") the freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits ("freedom 3") Note that freedoms 1 and 3 require access to the source code.
A list of compliant licenses is available from FSF's web site (see below). The term "proprietary software" is used for software distributed under more restrictive licenses which do not grant these freedoms. Copyright law reserves most rights of modification, duplication and redistribution for the copyright owner; software released under a free software license specifically rescinds most of these reserved rights.
The FSF definition of free software does not touch on the issue of price; a commonly used slogan is "free as in speech, not as in beer", and it is common to see CDs of free software such as Linux distributions for sale. However, in this situation the buyer of the CD would have the right to copy and redistribute it. Free beer software can include restrictions that do not conform to the FSF definition — for example, gratis software may not include source code, may actively prohibit redistributors from charging a fee, etc.
In 1984, Richard Stallman started working on the GNU project, founding the Free Software Foundation (FSF) one year later [1]He introduced a definition for "free software" and the concept of "copyleft", which he specifically devised to give users freedom and to restrain the possibilities for appropriation [2]According to that definition, software is "free" if it grants:
the freedom to run the program for any purpose (called "freedom 0") the freedom to study and modify the program ("freedom 1") the freedom to copy the program so you can help your neighbor ("freedom 2") the freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits ("freedom 3") Note that freedoms 1 and 3 require access to the source code.
A list of compliant licenses is available from FSF's web site (see below). The term "proprietary software" is used for software distributed under more restrictive licenses which do not grant these freedoms. Copyright law reserves most rights of modification, duplication and redistribution for the copyright owner; software released under a free software license specifically rescinds most of these reserved rights.
The FSF definition of free software does not touch on the issue of price; a commonly used slogan is "free as in speech, not as in beer", and it is common to see CDs of free software such as Linux distributions for sale. However, in this situation the buyer of the CD would have the right to copy and redistribute it. Free beer software can include restrictions that do not conform to the FSF definition — for example, gratis software may not include source code, may actively prohibit redistributors from charging a fee, etc.
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